7/14/2016

Japanese director Hirokazu Koreeda is not the filmmaker to turn to
if you're looking for explosive action or larger-than-life characters. His
stories are simple, gentle, and human, with emotions more powerful than a
million Roland Emmerich disaster flicks. But don't mistake the elegance of his
filmmaking with a lack of edge. Films such asNobody Knowsand his Cannes Award-winnerLike Father Like
Sonposed nearly
impossible familial dilemmas, the kind that leaves the mind racing with
difficult solutions. Koreeda's latest,Our
Little Sister, is closer to the fairy tale tone of his nearly-flawless
childhood adventure,I Wish, although this
exploration of family obligation and loss is less challenging than his prior
output.

That's not necessarily a bad thing, mind
you; it's just that Koreeda's exemplary body of work demands constant
comparison. There are no shortage of affecting, sublime moments of personal
growth and sisterly bonding in Koreeda's adaptation of Akimi Yashida's popular
manga series, as well as many revealing glimpses into Japanese culture. It's in
those seemingly inconsequential details, the everyday minutia of everyday life
in Japan that Koreeda commits to showing, that we manage to fall in love with
these characters.

It almost sounds like the setup for an
American dramatic series on the CW. The film centers on three grown-up sisters
living together under one roof, all fitting into specific Japanese archetypes.
There's sensible eldest sister Sachi (Haruka Ayase), who often finds herself at
odds with hard-drinking middle sister Yoshino (Masami Nagasawa). Filling the
appropriate amount of quirk is youngest sister Chika (Kaho), whose awkward
social graces, especially at the dinner table, are an occasional source of
conflict. They have no parents, at least none living in their home, and
romantic entanglements only a peripheral concern. All seems content, maybe not
perfect but comfortable, until their estranged father passes away and they are
forced to attend his funeral. It's there they learn of their
half-sister, Suzu (Hirose Suzu), a reserved and mature 15-year-old now
left without the one parent she felt a connection with. The sisters invite her
to live with them, instead, and hilarity ensues.

Not so much, or at least you aren't going
to find big laughs in Our Little Sister. That said, Koreeda is going for a
lighter, breezier feel this time, but it's humor built from the sisters'
numerous eccentricities and tight bond. They always seem to be indulging in a meal or planning
the next one, which makes sense because family meals remain an important
fixture in Japanese culture. But there isn't a ton of conflict, at least not
within the sisters themselves. There's little tension that arises due to Suzu's
guilt over her mother, who was the mistress that broke up the family. Sachi
harbors a lot of resentment towards her father for what he did, but it's
contradicted by the long-running relationship she has with a married physician.
There are other such elements that converge to create a loving tapestry of
sisterhood, without any of them emerging as a dominant narrative. Suzu quickly
fits in at her new school, becoming a star soccer player; the girls harvest
plums for the family wine; Sachi becomes a terminal care nurse; Yoshino deals
with adult responsibilities; and Chika longs for an eccentric
co-worker. These things bring the sisters together and never is there the
suggestion (or no believable suggestion) any of it will tear them apart, which
keeps the stakes low throughout.

Like many of Koreeda's other films,Our Little Sisteris a gradual reflection of rustic
Japan, away from the hustle and bustle of the big city. Think a live-action
Miyazaki anime and you'll get the idea. It's perfect for the casual pace
Koreeda prefers, and he carries us, totally at his own time, through each
tender and stress-free scene. He's content to serve up a meal of genuine yet
familiar human emotion, leaving us unsatisfied and eager for the next helping.